CNN – Astronomers Discover Distant Galaxy Resembling the Milky Way, Challenging Theories on Galaxy Evolution
Astronomers have made a groundbreaking discovery in the distant universe, spotting a galaxy that closely resembles the Milky Way. Dubbed ceers-2112, the faraway galaxy is challenging key theories on how galaxies evolve.
The international team responsible for the discovery used the James Webb Space Telescope to observe the new structure. Like our home galaxy, ceers-2112 is a barred spiral galaxy, making it the most distant of its kind ever observed.
What makes this discovery even more astonishing is that ceers-2112 formed soon after the big bang, which is estimated to have created the universe 13.8 billion years ago. The galaxy’s distinct structure was already in place 2.1 billion years later, breaking previous assumptions about the timeline of galaxy evolution.
Lead study author, Luca Costantin, stated, “Unexpectedly, this discovery reveals that galaxies that resemble our own existed already 11,700 million years ago when the Universe had just 15% of its life.”
The revelation, made possible by the highly sensitive light-detecting capabilities of the James Webb Space Telescope, is changing scientists’ understanding of galaxy formation and the early stages of the universe. The discovery has also prompted astronomers to revise their theoretical models for how galaxies form and evolve.
Furthermore, the discovery suggests that bars, a feature seen in spiral galaxies like the Milky Way, can be detected in early galaxies, despite their smaller size.
The study detailing the findings was published on November 8 in the journal Nature, marking a significant step forward in our understanding of the cosmic evolution.